Flexible-frame harrow-cultivator.



H. SHEMWELL.

FLEXIBLE FRAME HARROW CULTIVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAY a1. 1913. RENEWED MAR. 15.1911.

6 m m e M s P 1 1 2 Q 1 2 6 1 7 6 m 0 5 a w 1 M m 3 3O 2 a 4 1 a M i a r 1 M a m M M O f 0 H UNITED STATES PATENT UFFIOE.

HAROLD SHEMWELL, 0F BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, 'I'O BIRMINGHAM DISC HARROW COMPANY, OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA.

FLEXIBLE-FRAME HARROW-CULTIVATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed. May 31, 1913, Serial No. 770,990. Renewed March 15, 1917. Serial No. 155,090.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, I'IAROLD SI-IEMWELL,

a' citizen of the United States of America,

residing at Birmingham, in the county of Jefferson and State of Alabama, have inj'vented certain new and useful Improvements in Flexible-Frame Harrow-Cultivators, of which the following is a specification. i

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in attachments to the flexible, disk harrow-cultivators, such as are described and claimed in a pending applieation filed by Harold Shemwell, Serial ground behind the disks in order to make a more perfect'bed.

My invention, so far as it relates to the seat support, is designed to avoid any loose or sliding joints and to provide instead interchangeable flexible supports which distribute their weight over the transverse disk shafts and support the seat and weight frame in suehmanner that it will swing on its supports to accommodate itself to the various adjustments of the harrow frame and at the same time the supports themselves will not interfere with the free flexing of the harrow frame upon which they are mounted,

. it being essential that noconnection should be made which will prevent the flexible frame of the harrow from permitting the disks thereon to closely follow the irregular conformation of the ground.

My invention pertaining to the drag atf tachment consists in providing a combined tooth and scraper attachment susceptible of adjustment to change it from a plain scraper to a combined scraper and tooth drag, the same being pivotally connected to the rear end'of the harrow frame and adjusted by a handle convenient to the driver.

"My invention further embodies the novel details of construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter more particularly described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan yiew partly broken away of the barrow cultivator.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detail view illustrating the manner of mounting the teeth in the drag.

Fig. 4 is a-modification of the flexible supports for the seat frame as adapted to a four shaft harrow.

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

The 'eneral construction of the flexible disk harrow does not differ substantially from the disclosure in the Shemwell application above referred to and, briefly described, comprises a series of transversely arranged parallel shafts 1 which are connectedby a series of equi-distantly spaced links 2 which are arched as viewed in sideelevation and which are arranged in diagonal rows from front to rear to give the shafts an echelon or stopped arrangement. A series of sharpened, annular cutting disks 3 are each mounted in or formed integral with hub portions which are extended to provide ample bearing for the disks on the shafts and to cooperate with the ends of the links 2 in suitably and equi-distantly spacing the several disks so that their lines of travel are distinct, yet closely associated. The ends of the links make a loose joint with the axles '1, the links and axles together forming a flexible frame work which will permit the shafts to rise and fall freely in following the irregularities of the ground and will, to the requisite extent, permit the shafts to tilt angularly in a vertical plane. These various movements of the frame serve to shorten its length and to distort it in such a variety of ways that it has been found difficult to provide a simple and rugged seat and weight support which will accommodate itself to the various adjustments of the framework and which will preferably distribute the weight uniformly over the whole frame.

According to my present invention I provide hinged supports for the seat and weight frame, each of which supports comprises a member 5 pivoted at its lower end tothe top of the arch of a link 2 and having its upper end bent over and at its free end pivotally connected by a bolt 6 to a vertical member 7, the lower end of which is pivoted to the top of the arch of a link 2 in the transverse row next ahead or behind that of the link to which thesection 5 'is connected. This support, with its 'pivoted'see ti one 5 and 7 pivotally mounted on links which connect three adjacent shafts 1, will distribute the. weight on it over these shafts. For purposes of economy in construction, these hinged supports are alike and of a standard size, the sections? being preferably disposed toward the center of the harrow ,andthe sections. 5, being connected to the .of the harrow for its entire width. A

links which connect the front'and rear end pairs'of axles. In the preferred construction of frame, I use five shafts, and as seen ,theseveral supports are arranged to -distribute their weight onto these several shafts. V v

A seat supporting frame work is formed of transverse metal bars 8 which are connected by-brace bars v9 extending from front to rear of the barrow, these bars being bolted. or otherwise rigidly connected .to-the bars 8 and holding, themj in rigid spaced relationship. The ends of the bars 8 pro ect beyond the bars 9 and have their ends bent down, the ends of'the rear bar 8, being plvotally connectedby the bolts-10 to the sectionso ofthe rear-hinged supports,wh1le the forward bars '8 are providedwith elone gated downturned end portions 11 which .eXtendw-ell below, the hinged supports and at their lowerends are ,pivotally connected by bolts 12 to swinging links 13, which, at their upper, ends, are pivotally' connected by bolts'to the sections 5 of the front'hinged supports. Itwill be noted that the bolt Qholes which receive the pivot bolts 10 are correspondingly placed, in the sections 5 and preferablydisposed overthe middle shaft on which the support bears. The seat 14 is mounted onbent metal legs 15 which at their bottom ends are bolted to the bars9 of the seat supporting frame. Between the bars 9, and held in position thereby on the bars 8, is a weight platform 16 adapted to receive. any suitable weights and also to furnish a foot rest forv the driver.' The draft rigging comprises the draft chains 11 having hooked ends which engage the eyes 18 of arms 19, which arms arepivotally mounted on the'forward shaft 1 and. comprise each a rearwardly extending POTtlOIlQO- having a pair of laterally. disposed lugs 21 which interlock with the front end of the adjacent .link2, and thereby hold thearmslS intheir proper upright position, which is ,suchunder, draft strain as to place sufficient down pressure on the front disks to hold them to their. work. A cross rod 19 connects the upper ends of the arms 19 together and braces them.

I'have found it desirable for various purposes to provide the harrow at its rearend with a; tootheddrag and scraper attachment which-is controlled from the seat. To this endl proyide arms 19 at the rear of the narrow similar toparms 19011 the front, ex-

lc ep't, that ,instead of oyesjlS' they are proits middle portion slotted arms 24.

"vide d with a split bearing sleeve 22. A

toothed bar 26 also extends lengthwise of the harrow above the-scrapebar and under thear1ns-2 r and a plate is adjustably connected to each arm 2 1 by a bolt 27 which 'works in a longitudinal slot in the arm.

This arrangement permits the tooth barto be adjusted lengthwise of the arms to regulate the extent to which the teeth 28 will project below the bar 25, Each tooth 28, is

inserted through the ends of a clip 29 which is held in position on the tooth bar by means of a set screw 30 which is passed through an opening in the neck of the clip and screwed through a nut 31which is held between the arms'of the clip against rotation. The inner end of the screw presses against the tooth bar and by foreiiig the nut away therefrom draws theends ofthe clip, with which the ,toothis held, toward thebar and'holds the tooth firmly in position against the bar while permitting it, when the nut is loosened to be adjusted in the "clip and also per initting -the clip ltobe adjusted alo11g .tl1e 7 tooth bar. A crank'arm 32 is keyed to'the rock shaft23 at a point opposite one of the cross bars .9 of the seat supporting frame. A tooth segment is bolted to this bar 9 and a leyer 3a is pivoted to the lowerpart of the segment and hasa throw rod35 pivoted to it and, provided at its outer threaded end with a nut spring 37., the outer end of which bears against an eye 38 which swivelly connected to the crank arm The outer end of the throw rod projectsthrough this eye 38 and is connected to it by a nut 39. The threaded end'of the bolt will work freely'through the opening in the eye and the crank is thus pressed against the nut 39 by the action of the spring 37, which yieldsand permits the rock shaft to swing the tooth and drag up-- with a four shaft flexible frame, andsuch a construction is illustrated sufiiciently in on 'whichforms a seat for a;

Fig. 1 to show the modification of the yieldingisupports upon which the seat frame rests. here, lllustrated the yielding support comprises a rear member't which ;is

sii'nilar to 5, except that its upper end is extended forward over the two intermediate shafts and is there connected to a vertical member 7 a which is similar to 7 and is pivotally connected to the links resting on the two forward shafts. The seat and weight frame has its cross bars 8 bent down at their outer ends to form flanges 8 which are connected by bolts or pins 10 to the member 5. In this arrangement it will be noted that the rear part of the frame rests on links common to the two rear shafts and the forward part of the shaft rests on links common to the two forward shafts, and in like manner the weight of the frame is distributed uniformly over the several disks just as in the case of the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2. y

In operation, as the several disk shafts 1 rise and fall and tilt in following the inequalities of the ground, the seat supports will swing about their pivotal connections to their links 2 and about the pivot bolts 6 which permit the frames to flex or articulate in a vertical plane to provide for the shortening of centers between the pivotal connections to the links 2. At the same time the rear bar 8 of the seat supporting frame will pivot about the bolts 10 on the rear supporting members 5 and, in the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2, will swing bodily back and forth on the links 13 which are pivoted to the forward support-s, thereby permitting the seat supporting frame to accommodate itself to any ordinary operating conditions without binding or interfering with the free flexing of the harrow frame or the desired distribution of weight over the whole harrow frame. Vhere the four shaft construction is used as in Fig. 4, the forward end of the frame instead of swinging from a depending links, such as 13, swings with the member 7 forming part of the support. The swivel eye 88 permits the throw rod to swing in following the movements of the seat supporting frame. The seat frame being connected to the members 5 or 5 of the rear supports which in turn are connected to links which pivot about the rear shaft that supports the drag attachment, it follows that the segment 33, as the seatframe rises and falls, will move about the rear shaft as a center and the movement of the seat frame will thus not practically interfere with the adjustment of the drag attachments. y

i I prefer that the flexible supports for the seat and weight frame should take advantage of the presence of the links '2 as a means to mount the supports on the axles, but other and modified arrangements may be used provided they permit the shafts, to which they are connected, to have the requisite relative movements described. When I refer to the seat and weight frame, I mean to include any suitable frame work adapted to support either the driver or the weight, or both. A divisional requirement having been made in reference to the claims directed to the construction and arrangement of the scraper and the means of controlling it, the same have been withdrawn from this application which is restricted to the construction of the harrow and its seat and weight connections.

In compliance with the requirements of law, I have described what I consider the preferred embodiment of my invention and have not attempted to mention the various modifications and changes which one skilled in the art could readily make without departing from the principles underlying my invention.

Without therefore limiting myself to the specific construction shown, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Pat- 1. In a cultivating implement, a flexible frame work comprising a series of parallel transverse tool bearing shafts and links loosely connecting said shafts, and a flexible seat support which is supported wholly by the links and is loosely and accommodatively connected at one end to said links, substantially as described.

2. A flexible disk harrow comprising transverse disk shafts, links loosely connecting said shafts, a seat support pivoted at one end to said links, and swinging supports which connect the other end of said support to said links, substantially as described.

3. A flexible disk harrow comprising transverse disk shafts, links loosely connecting the shafts, and a seat support partly pivoted and partly swung from said links, substantially as described.

l. A flexible disk harrow comprising transverse disk shafts, links loosely con necting said shafts, a seat and weight frame having arched supports'which are pivotally connected to links near each end of the harrow, arms pivot-ally connected to the arched supports near one end of the harrow, and means to swing said frame at one end from said arms and at the other end to pivot it to said supports, substantially as described.

5. A flexible disk harrow comprising transverse disk shafts, links loosely connecting said shafts, a rigid seat and weight frame having hinged arched supports at one end which are pivotally connected to links near the rear end of the harrow and to the frame, and means to swing the forward end of the frame from hinged sup ports which rest on links connecting three disk shafts near the front end of the harrow, substantially as described.

6. In a flexible disk harrow, a flexible frame work comprising transverse disk shafts, links loosely connecting said shafts, a seat and weight frame, arched hinged supports pivotally connected to the frame and to links which connect three of said shafts, and a supporting means for the forward end of said seat and weight frame comprising flexible frames supported by other three shafts and a swinging member swung from each frame and pivotally connected at its free end to said seat and weight frame, substantially as described.

7. In a disk harrow,ia flexible frame work comprising transverse disk shafts and links loosely connecting said shafts, a seat frame mounted on the frame work comprising four similar arched supports, each support comprising sections which are pivotally connected to each other and to links which connect different pairs of shafts, a fixed pivot for connecting one end of the frame to one set of supports, and swinging arms to connect the other end of the frame to its re,

spective sectional supports, substantially as described.

8. In a disk harrow, a flexible frame work comprising transverse disk shafts and rigid links loosely connecting said shafts, hinged supports which are mounted on said rigid links, a seat frame, and means to mount said frame on said supports, which means permit the supports at different ends of the harrow to move relatively and freely, said supports being mounted on links which connect all the disk shafts thereby distributing the seat weight uniformly over the flexible I frame work of the harrow.

9. In an implement of the character described, transverse tool bearing shafts and links loosely connecting said shafts, flexible supports pivotally mounted on said links, and a frame work mounted on said supports, said frame work being partly pivoted and partly swung from said supports, sub-. stantially as described. 10. Inan implement of the character described, the combination with a series of transverse disk shafts which are loosely connected together by links, of a seat and weight frame, flexible supports for said frame which are each pivotally connected to links which connect different shafts, the supports at each side of the-implement,being substantially equally supported by all the shafts, and loose connections between the frame and said supports, substantially as described.

11. In a farmingimplement of the character described, in combination, a series of transverse disk shafts, a plurality of links loosely connecting .each adjacent pair of shafts, hinged supports pivotally connected to links indifferent transverse rows, a seat and weight supportingframe work, means topivotsaid frame work 'to the rear supports, .arijns suspended from the, forward supports, and means to pivotally connect said frame to the free ends of said arms, substantially as described. 1

12. The combination with a harrow cultivator having a flexible frame work, of hinged supports, means to pivotally connect said supports to the frame work, a seat supporting frame which is rigid in construction, means to pivotally connect said frame atone end to certain of said flexible supports, and means to swing the other end of the frame from other of said supports, substantially as described. 1

13. A flexible disk harrow comprising transverse disk shafts and links loosely con nected to said shafts,arms mou ted on the forward shaft and having at their front ends means for the attachment of draft rigging, and having at'their rear ends extensions, each of which interlocks with a link connecting the two forward shafts, substantially as described.

14:. In a flexible harrow, a series of transverse disk shafts, disks mounted thereon, connecting links between the shafts, which links serve to space the disks, and additional 7 spacing means provided on the front and ing means comprising sleeves, a plurality of which haveeach a cuff provided with side arms which straddle and interlock with a link, and an upwardly extending arm adapt ed to connect with the draft rigging, substantially as described. .7 y

15. In a harrow' having-a flexible frame work comprising transverse disk shafts and links loosely connecting said shafts, spacer sleeves on the front shafts comprising each a. rearwardly extending cuff open at the sideand adapted to interlock with the top and bottom edges of a link, and an upward and forward extending arm adapted to connect with the draft rigging, substantially as described. 7

16. In a cultivating implement, the combination with a flexible frame work comprising transverse tool bearingshafts and f links loosely connecting said shafts, of supports comprising sections whichare hinged their ends to move relatively in a vertical tool supports and which are adapted to flex 10 plane in following the flexing of the harrow. in a vertical plane.

18. In a flexible disk harrow, loosely con- In testimony whereof I affix my signature If16Ct8(ltOOl1S11PIi({] ItS, a rigid seat and weigiht in presence of two witnesses.

rame anc y1e c 1n sup orting means or the frame which res t on a ind distribute their IIARQLD SHEMWELI" weight over said too1 supports, said sup- Witnesses: porting means comprising articulated arched GEO. A. NEAL, links which are pivotally connected to the NoMm VVELSH.

Copies 01 this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C. 

